I was always a fan of the M1 Carbine. Perhaps I got this from my Dad, a decorated WWII combat vet who carried one. Dad was in the PTO, the Philippines primarily, and a LVT crewman though he did see combat on foot as well as in many major and minor landings all with the 658th Amphibian Tractor Battalion. His favorite weapon was the M2HB .50 Cal. Heavy Machinegun but ya cannot carry one around with ya.
Dad liked the Carbine, especially in the jungle, for its lightweight, fast handling, and even faster shooting capabilities *(his comment on the M2 version was “why, it will shoot as fast as you can pull the trigger and it’s controllable”). He felt it was a near perfect jungle weapon. Apparently, he was correct as many a Special Forces “advisor” chose to use one in Vietnam…until the M16 came into play.
*Misprint?
Oh and the little workhorse was used by at least sixty-seven nations in its life, fought in over nine major wars and campaigns and countless small ones, and has been used my many police departments, worldwide, over the years. Not bad for a worthless little rifle that fires an underpowered cartridge…it is not an M1 Garand Rifle and it was never intended to be an M1 Garand Rifle.
In my opinion, I feel the bad rap that the Carbine gets is usually from know-it-alls, techno-shooters, and wannabees who, in reality, know nothing. With good shot placement and at 100 yards or less the Carbine will take Whitetail Deer and if it will kill a deer, it will kill a man. For the Carbine’s intent and purpose, it was a near-perfect solution. I reiterate it is not a rifle nor was it ever intended to be or compete with one, it is a true carbine, not a cut down rifle and not a small rifle that fires a pistol cartridge.
Let us consider the Carbine and its cartridge.
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